1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium thereof and, more particularly, to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of processing an edge effect and a computer-readable recording medium thereof.
2. Related Art
An image forming apparatus, such as a laser printer, forms an image onto a paper or other printable medium based on received image data. The image forming apparatus may directly perform image processing required for the image data, or may receive the processed image data from an image processing apparatus such as a computer system.
FIG. 1 shows an image formed by a conventional image forming apparatus. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 represents at least one pixel whose depth of shade is at a maximum, for example, black (hereinafter referred to as “solid pixels”). Reference numeral 12 represents at least one pixel whose depth of shade is not the maximum, for example, grey (hereinafter referred to as “intermediate pixels”). “A” represents a main scanning direction and “B” represents a sub-scanning direction (hereinafter referred to as “printing direction”) while an image 1 is formed by the image forming apparatus. The printing direction B is the direct opposite to a conveying direction of the printable medium on which the image 1 is formed.
According to the conventional image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, if the intermediate pixel 12 is adjacent to or near the solid pixel 11, deterioration of the depth of shade (reference numeral 13 in FIG. 1, hereinafter referred to as “depth deteriorated pixels”) may be generated unexpectedly due to an edge effect in the intermediate pixel 12 arrayed in the printing direction B adjacent to the solid pixel 11.
If a development voltage adjustment cannot prevent such depth deterioration, many changes in mechanical components, optical systems, developing processes, etc., are needed to prevent the depth deterioration, which results in increased costs, difficulties in manufacturing, and other problems.